Youth Leadership?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Over the last few weeks I've gotten some info from 2 different programs. One is the Lead America program. I've never heard of it before but it offers you a college credit and stuff. Although it seems cool to get a credit, I am iffy about it because in all of the information on that program it doesn't say what type of credit it is and the college it is issued from is some no name liberal arts college. </p>

<p>Then I got something from the National Youth Leadership forum. That I have heard of before and they provided me with 3 letters, a list of participating speakers and institutions, and alumni from the school I currently attend.</p>

<p>Have any of you gotten similar things in the mail? Are either of these a scam?</p>

2

<p>I dont think it is worth it they sent one to almost everyone.Last year they sent one to my brother who was failing a subject.</p>

3

<p>I don't know anyone else from my school that got the one from the National Youth Leadership Forum... but I know people who've gotten the Lead America thing.</p>

4

<p>Its not great and a way to get money for them.Its like a scam I think.</p>

5

<p>Well... on the list they sent me of people who've graduated from my school... I recognize like 2 or 3 names. Which is a good sign, seeing as how that means they're not just making up people to make the program seem legit.</p>

6

<p>Yes but how will you use some of these things in daily life besides yur future job.Is it a waste of time for you?</p>

7

<p>Well... the forum I'm nominated for is Medical. I want to be a surgeon and I'm enrolled in nursing school for next year. I'm still in High School, I'm about to be a Junior... and this kind of thing could reassure me about what I'd like to do, and could potentially look very good on my medical school / college applications.</p>

8

<p>I got them both too..... they're simply too much money.</p>

9

<p>Well... I have the money. I'm not rich or anything. But I can easily get sponsorship and financial aid. Plus I get a monthly check from social security, and a check weekly from my job. </p>

<p>I'm just not sure which one I should go for?</p>

10

<p>go for the one with people you have heard of.</p>

11

<p>That was my idea. But I was wondering if anyone here had actually been involved with the programs I posted about..</p>

12

<p><em>Bump</em></p>

<p>any more info?</p>

13

<p>I know people who have gone to those and say it was great fun, but really, you're just paying to go on a field trip. Go if you want to, but it's not a major award...like a leg lamp....</p>

<p>Anybody?</p>

14

<p>Maranda, if you really want to do it, do it, but it wont help with admission to college. period. i think it'd be more worthwhile to do volunteer work, perhaps at a hospital, or develop an extracurricular activity. ive gotten those things from leadamerica, nslc and gylc and so have my friends. it's just to get our money and by going it just shows that you have money to toss around.</p>

15

<p>If you really want a youth leadership program to go to, check out the Pearson Seminar on Youth Leadership (<a href="http://www.psyl.ca%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.psyl.ca&lt;/a&gt;). It's held in Victoria, BC, Canada every summer (3 weeks in august), at one of the United World Colleges (which are a group of prestigious international schools that do the IB program). I was there in 2004, and it was pretty amazing. It might not be really well-known, but you learn a lot and get to meet people from all over the world (my year had delegates from Ethiopia, Luxembourg, Japan, etc). Check it out if you're interested.</p>

16

<p>I've got NSLC, LeadAmerica and Medicine Forum.....besides USAA. I think all these r out there for some sorta profit w/a tag saying non-profit organization !!!</p>

17

<p>Maranda, colormehappy is right that these are "field trips" to give you exposure and GDF is right that they give you NO college admission advantage. My daughter wanted to attend the NYLF in medicine and I let her, but only on the condition that she went to the closest one -- the 15 min drive -- no airfare. I browsed the Lead America website. Those offerings don't seem to fit your plan of becoming a surgeon. As for the college credit given by American University -- I wouldn't call it a "no name" school because it's local to me. True, it's no Harvard, but credit from AU is more respectable than, let's say, credit from a community college.
If you want leadership credentials that WILL help you with college admissions, then be a class officer, captain of a varsity sport, or club president, and so on.<br>
If you want to become a surgeon, nursing school is a waste of your time. Your B.S.N. (Batchelor of Science in Nursing) will prepare you to be a nurse. The required math and science courses for your B.S.N. might be less rigorous than the recommended courses to prepare you for med school -- we used to call it "baby organic chemistry" instead of "organic chemistry". You wouldn't want to have to retake some of the science courses to buff up your academics for med school.
Hope this helps.</p>